


in which Sokka is DEFINITELY NOT affected by Zuko being an omega. definitely not.

by Anonymous



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alpha Sokka, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Gaang (Avatar) as Family, Gen, Idiots in Love, Literal Sleeping Together, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Omega Zuko, Pack Bonding, Platonic Cuddling, gaang loves him too much to let him go, zuko is pack he just doesn't know it yet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-03
Updated: 2020-06-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:47:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,635
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21655486
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Having an omega traveling with them is… different, to say the least.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 60
Kudos: 1982
Collections: Anonymous





	1. Chapter 1

Having an omega traveling with them is… different, to say the least.

Sokka’s come a long way from where he’d been when they’d first started travelling with Aang. He’d learned a long time ago that calling anything “women’s work” was a surefire way to get Katara shouting at him, but it had taken an embarrassingly long time (in retrospect) for him to actually believe her when she’d say there’s no such thing. He would’ve just as easily called it “omega’s work,” if the Southern Water Tribe hadn’t been alpha and beta only for the past several centuries. 

Thankfully, he’s moved past all that. As far as Sokka’s concerned, no girl or omega is any weaker than anyone else because of how they were born. 

Which just makes the way he feels about Zuko sometimes all the more confusing. 

“Where are you going?” Sokka blurts out before he can stop himself. Zuko had stood up from the fire--apparently that alone was enough to get Sokka’s inner alpha fired up again. 

Zuko glances at him critically, but looks resigned after a moment. “Just thought I’d take a walk.” 

“Oh, uh,” Sokka cringes at himself. “Yeah, that’s fine. Totally.” 

“Okay…” Zuko says after a pause. “Well, I’ll be going then.” Zuko starts to walk away, but--

“Alone!?” Sokka asks, nearly jumping to his feet reflexively. Dammit! Why is he so out of control lately?

“Um,” Zuko says. “Yes. Alone.”

“Oh, okay. Cool. Totally cool,” Sokka says, forcing himself to relax. He watches Zuko as he walks away for real this time and attempts to tamper down the mini-growl that’s rumbling at the base of his throat. 

Toph’s cackle is enough to deflate his alpha ego ten times over. 

“Yeesh, and I thought Zuko was the awkward one here!” She exclaims. “Trouble in paradise, loverboy?”

“What’s that supposed to mean,” Sokka deadpans. 

“It’s just that you’ve been more… I don’t know, protective? Of Zuko recently,” Aang says. “Don’t worry, I think it’s pretty cute!” 

“I have not! And it’s not!” Sokka says, knowing it’s true even as he contests it. 

“Sokka, you growled at me yesterday because I apparently got too close to him while  _ literally  _ healing him,” Katara says. “Overprotective is an understatement.”

Sokka groans, but before he can even formulate a reply, Toph beats him to it. “I mean, it’s not that surprising, is it? Zuko’s preheating already.” 

Sokka’s mind blanks. Did she say--

“What!?” He shouts, and this time he really does jump to his feet. “He is? Since when? How do you know that?”

Toph laughs again. “Isn’t it obvious?”

Sokka glances around, expecting Aang and Katara to be as bewildered as he is, but they’re nodding their heads like this is old news.    
  
“So everybody knows Zuko’s going into heat but  _ me _ _?_ Why didn’t you guys tell me!”

“It really is obvious,” Katara says. “I guess we all thought you knew?”

“Yeah, even I could tell!” Aang adds cheerfully. “I mean, why else would Zuko have joined our cuddle pile every night this week otherwise?” It is common knowledge that omegas gravitate to their pack (or whatever they have closest to one) right before heats, but Sokka hadn’t thought of it like that at all.

“Plus you’ve been going all alpha-brain over him,” Katara says with a shudder. 

“And he smells different!” Toph says. Now that he thinks about it, Sokka had thought Zuko smelled a little spicier this week… “There’s been plenty of signs. Y’know, it almost makes me think you’re trying not to notice on purpose for some reason.” Toph grins slyly. 

“Shut up!” Sokka says. “Why would I—” He cuts himself off abruptly when Zuko appears out of nowhere and rejoins their circle. 

“Uh, hey guys,” Zuko says, clearly put off by Sokka’s guilty expression. “What’d I miss?”

Sokka sputters, brain short-circuiting trying to come up with a response. 

“Oh, nothing,” Toph says, still grinning. “Anyway, now that you’re back, can we go to bed already? I’m still tired from yesterday.” Sokka whole-heartedly agrees. Yesterday they’d had a tournament instead of Aang’s usual fire training, and of course when it came to the Avatar group a “small test of skills” ended up lasting well into the night. 

Plus, all this Zuko talk was exhausting all on its own. Zuko, going into heat? Sokka probably should’ve seen that coming, but…  Wait, does that mean Zuko’s going to sleep in the cuddle pile again tonight?   
  
“And don’t worry about night watch, Zuko!” Toph adds. “Sokka volunteered for tonight!”

Well. Guess that won’t be a problem after all, then. He doesn’t know if he should thank Toph or shove her off the side of the temple.

(When Zuko shoots him one of his awkward little smiles as thanks... Sokka decides that maybe night watch won't be so bad after all)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not usually one to post without fully finishing a work, but I was too excited to wait this time. Hope to post more soon! Kudos/comments appreciated :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! Thank you all for the warm reception on this fic. I definitely wasn't expecting that on my first a:tla work. 
> 
> Now, a couple notes:  
> \- since my concept for this fic isn't fully realized yet, I don't know for sure where I'll end up taking it. Therefore, the rating may change to E later on, or it may not. Currently, I'm thinking I'll probably finish the story as T, and then write an add-on sex scene and post it in a series with this work. If that happens after this fic ends completely (assuming I'm still posting anonymously) I will post a chapter to let the subscribers to this work know and then delete it afterward.  
> \- again, due to me not knowing exactly where I'm going, updates will be sporadic! my life has also been INSANELY busy lately (makes perfect sense I'd start a new fic now, of all times) but I'll try to keep it at least semi-frequent.  
> \- I'm trying to keep everything explained-in-universe, but since abo ideas around pack bonding shifts so much, I'll explain a bit about how it works in this universe. There's no physical component (i.e. biting), and packmates will basically just feel a "pull" (as Sokka describes it) to let them know that someone is a potential packmate. People in a pack are more in tune with each other and generally more affectionate. Think of it like a group of very close best friends—perfect for the gaang. 
> 
> Anyway, thanks again, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

The next few days are… difficult. 

Sokka doesn’t mean to be insensitive—he knows from his own experience with ruts that Zuko's probably felt way worse than Sokka has the past few days—but he can’t seem to get a handle on his reactions. The closer and closer Zuko gets, the more and more Sokka feels like he’s going out of his mind. 

Still, he isn’t going to let it change anything. With Zuko around, he finally has a fishing partner who’s patient and interested enough to actually want to go with him—and be useful while he’s at it. 

Fishing might be Sokka’s favorite part of staying at the Western Air Temple. Usually, they’re forced to move on too fast for Sokka to find any good fishing spots, but there’s a beautiful lake within a half day’s walk from the temple and a raging river not too far from that. The lake may be incomparable to his ocean, and he may not have his boat, but every time Sokka casts a line feels a little bit more like home. 

There’s truly nothing more peaceful than a day on the shores. 

Sokka’s staring out on the water as he listens to Zuko getting ready to cast his own line beside him. They’d been fishing for a couple of hours, but Zuko, despite being relatively more patient with fishing than the others, is nowhere near Sokka’s level. Every so often, Zuko has to reel in and take a walk so he doesn’t go stir-crazy. 

Sokka had managed to keep himself mostly contained letting Zuko out of his sight. He may have let off some unnecessary pheromones because of it, but at least he hadn’t done anything as awkward as that first night. Sokka is pleased with himself—maybe he’s finally starting to get over his stupid alpha hindbrain after all. 

At least, that’s what he thinks until _it_ happens. 

One minute it’s silent, and the next Zuko lets out an involuntary hiss of pain. In the same moment Sokka registers it, it’s like his inner alpha takes over his brain.

Sokka grabs Zuko’s arm and pulls him back, putting himself between Zuko and the danger. If he thought he’d been stinking before, it’s nothing compared to now, what with his angry alpha scent soaking into the air around them. He’s growling his best, scariest growl, but now that he’s looking… 

Where’s the danger?

“What the hell, Sokka!?” Zuko shouts. “It was a fish hook!”

It takes a moment to register. When it does, Sokka feels like the world comes back into focus all at once—and if it wasn’t for the angry omega behind him, he’s sure he’d be standing in complete shock for at least the next five minutes.

As it is, he scrambles to apologize. “I’m so sorry,” Sokka says. He wonders if he sounds as dazed as he feels. “I don’t know what that was.”

“Of course,” Zuko growls. “And I’m guessing you don’t know what it was when you were snarling at Katara for healing me, or when you got mad at me for leaving camp, or when you got up and moved as soon I sat next to you at the fire. Twice.”

“I didn’t—” Sokka pauses. “I mean, maybe I did, but—”

“If you have a problem with me, just say it already. I’m tired of… whatever this is,” Zuko says.

Sokka wants to defend himself, defend Zuko against him, but he can’t. He’s speechless. 

The silence sits heavily between them. After a moment Zuko deflates, scrubbing at his eyes the way he always does when he’s calming down after a rush of rage or adrenaline. 

“I get it,” Zuko says. “I know you don’t—I know you’re not used to having an omega around, let alone one going into heat. You’re not even used to having me around yet. 

“And that’s okay, it’s just.” He pauses, shaking his head angrily. “If you want me to, I’ll go! I just don’t want you to be mad at me anymore!”

“Mad?” Sokka feels like he’s dreaming. “You think I’m mad at you?” His incredulousness must show on his face, because Zuko hunkers down on himself like he’s being made fun of. 

“Aren’t you?” Zuko says. “I thought it’d be okay to stay with the group, at least before I,” Zuko huffs, clearly uncomfortable. “Well, before I actually get into the thick of it. But you’ve been acting so strangely the past few days, and the only thing different is me. What am I supposed to think about that?” 

“No,” Sokka says. “No, I’m not mad at you. If anything I’m mad at myself right now.”

It's Zuko’s turn to look incredulous. “Why would you be mad at yourself?”

“Because I made you feel like you were doing something wrong,” Sokka says. “I made you feel like you have to leave your own pack, at your most vulnerable time!”

“I’m not pack,” Zuko says, clearly alarmed, “You haven’t—”

“You might as well be!” Sokka cuts him off, resisting the urge to shout again. Sure, the others haven’t felt the pull of a pack bond with him yet, but it’s only a matter of time. “Of course I don’t want you to leave. It’s really more like the opposite of that.”

“The opposite?”

Sokka sighs. He’d been hoping, somehow, that they’d get through this entire experience without ever having to address what he’d thought was the obvious. Normally, he finds Zuko’s unexpected moments of density hilarious and maybe a little cute; now, he can’t help but empathize with all the poor fools like himself that have had to spell out the whole, embarrassing truth for Zuko to understand. 

“My alpha has been going kind of crazy, lately,” Sokka says. “That’s why it seems like I’m mad, I guess. It’s not at you—it’s not at anyone, really—it’s just my hormones taking over. Once you’re done with,” Sokka swallows hard. “Once your heat is over, I should be back to normal.” 

If Sokka thought the silence was bad before, it’s nothing compared to this. 

“I see,” Zuko says after an excruciatingly long minute. He’s blushing harder than Sokka’s ever seen, and Sokka does his best to convince himself it’s just the leftover adrenaline. 

“I can still go, if it would make things easier,” Zuko says, still blushing and awkward and completely, unfortunately adorable.

“No!” Sokka says. “We wouldn’t want you anywhere else for this. Not that I’m forcing you to stay, or anything, if you have other plans, but…” Sokka trails off. “ _Do_ you have other plans?”

“No, I—it’s not like I have an alpha. I’ll be alone,” Zuko says. 

Sokka doesn’t know why the admission hurts. He isn’t Zuko’s alpha, not by a long shot, but Zuko said it with such finality that he might as well have said he’ll never take an alpha, not just that he doesn’t have one for now.

“I think I can speak for the others when I say we’d much rather have you with us,” Sokka says. “You may not be officially pack yet, but we wouldn’t even leave our worst enemy out in the cold during a heat.” Sokka chuckles, but Zuko isn’t quite as amused. “And you’re not even our worst enemy anymore!” 

“Right, but it’s not like I need your protection or something. I’ll still have my fire—I can take care of myself, even then,” Zuko says. 

Sokka sighs. “But you shouldn’t have to,” he says. “We all know you can, but there’s no reason to go out of your way when you have a whole group ready and willing to make it as comfortable for you as possible.”

“Okay,” Zuko says. He doesn’t sound like he believes Sokka for a second.

“I’m serious! We’re all here for you,” Sokka says. “I’m here for you. I promise I’ll keep you safe, no matter what.”

Zuko’s golden eyes flit up to meet Sokka’s determined gaze. Sokka’s never had trouble making eye contact with people, but something about Zuko has always made him want to look away. At first it was the scar, then fear, but now… Now, he doesn’t feel the urge at all. In its place is a spark, a pull, and Sokka never wants to look away again. 

Sokka doesn’t know who looks away first, but the moment passes. Still, he feels content—they finally get the forgotten-about fish hook out of Zuko’s hand (Sokka definitely relates to that one), and although they don’t have a huge haul, they pack everything up to go back to the temple. The walk back is peaceful and, best of all, _normal_ , with Sokka cracking jokes now and then and Zuko pretending to be annoyed. Sokka’s surprised to find that his seemingly-ruined day has turned into a great one.

When Zuko smiles at him again, across the fire while they’re eating dinner, well. Maybe this day was actually one of his best.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos/comments appreciated! i'd love to hear your thoughts :)
> 
> JUNE 2020 UPDATE: hey all! thanks so much for the increased interest after atla was added to netflix. i haven’t abandoned this fic, but i don’t know when my next update will be. i’m hoping to update within the next month or so, but with the circumstances it’s hard to say. no matter what, i appreciate all the kudos and comments and i’m glad everyone is liking my story!


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the long awaited update! I hope this lives up to expectations, it definitely took me long enough to write LMAO. i don't currently know when the next (probably final) chapter will be out, but hopefully it won't take six months this time, lol.

Sokka has to admit, having Zuko in the pile with them every night is amazing. Zuko had joined them every once in a while before, but having him so integrated with the pack is a blessing. It makes Sokka’s alpha happy to have their omega so close, and he knows that the others feel the same. 

Plus, with Zuko’s heat on the way, he doesn’t get up at the asscrack of dawn anymore and wake Sokka up in the process. Omegas tend to sleep more leading up to their heats, as preparation for the heat itself and the increased metabolism that accompanies it, which in Zuko’s case means his body finally has more sway over itself than the sun.

Sokka’s probably the lightest sleeper among them besides Zuko himself, and he couldn’t count the number of times he’s been woken up at sunrise by Zuko’s attempts to disentangle his bony limbs from the pile. Needless to say, he’s cherished these past few nights and sleep-filled mornings.

And so, in just the same way, Sokka wakes up at the perfectly reasonable hour of probably-just-after-sunrise. It’s earlier than typical for him, yes, but he feels well-rested and in an unusually good mood for the early morning. Still, he doesn’t think anything of it — at least until he moves to sit up.

“Oh,” he says, audibly, because what else can you say when your firebender-omega-definitely-not-crush is totally cuddling you in his sleep? 

Zuko is stuck on him like a koala-urchin, showing no sign of letting go. He’s somehow found a way to wrap all of his limbs around Sokka, more on top of him than anything, and —

And, as if that wasn’t enough, he’s  _ purring _ . 

Very, very loudly. 

Sokka’s face heats up as his inner alpha rumbles with pride. Omegas only purr when they’re at their most comfortable, often when they’re surrounded by pack like Zuko is right now. For Zuko to be purring, especially that loudly, it means he feels completely safe with them. 

That he feels completely safe with Sokka.

Sokka forces himself not to react. Two separate instincts are at war inside him: the urge to fold Zuko into his arms and never let go, and the urge to run around squealing because Zuko is so cute and trusting and warm. He hesitantly wraps one arm around Zuko’s waist where he’s already pressed up against him — at least one of his urges is satisfied. 

He really tries to keep himself from moving after that. He closes his eyes, willing himself to go back to sleep, but Sokka has never been able to force himself to sleep untired. As much as he loves — er, likes — having Zuko this close, he’s itching to get up and start the day. The problem is, he doesn’t know if he’ll ever get cuddly Zuko again, so he really can’t risk throwing it away so quickly.

In the end, its Toph who decides it for him. Sokka is inefficiently stretching his legs, moving as slowly as possible to keep from jostling Zuko, when Toph rolls over in sleep and promptly hits Zuko in the nose with her flailing hand. 

Zuko startles awake, eyes quickly flitting around to assess for danger, but upon seeing it was only Toph he seems content to lie back down. He closes his eyes, and Sokka watches breathlessly as he lowers his head back down to cuddle into Sokka’s chest.

Sokka carefully attempts to neutralize the downcast look on his face, because in 5… 4… 3… 2…

“Oh!” Zuko shouts, popping off Sokka and flailing backwards, eyes wide. For a moment they stare at each other in silence, faces heating up in tandem. Zuko, for subconsciously allowing himself to be so close, and Sokka for enjoying every second of it.

Zuko scratches at the back of his neck awkwardly, wiping his hands on his pants where he’s still kneeling a foot away from Sokka after his moment of panic.

“Sorry,” Zuko says. “I… I get sort of like that, before my… yeah.”

“Yeah,” Sokka says dazedly, because holy shit they’re talking about THAT. Except —

“Wait no, don’t apologize, dude,” Sokka says, snapping out of his stupor. “You’re pack, no need to feel bad about being in our cuddle pile.”

“I’m not pack,” Zuko starts, “yet,” he adds after Sokka glares at him. “Even if I was, that doesn’t explain why I was basically crushing you in your sleep. It had to have been uncomfortable.”

Maybe it had been physically uncomfortable, but Sokka honestly couldn’t remember feeling anything beyond the thoughts of Zuko, omega Zuko, purring Zuko, Zuko purring in his arms,  _ his  _ Zuko.

Okay, maybe not that last one.

“No!” Sokka says. “It was nice!”

“Nice?” 

“Yeah! It’s nice to see you so relaxed,” Sokka says. His stomach twists in embarrassment but he presses on — it would be awful if Zuko got scared off now, when they’re finally so close to actually being packmates. “Plus, my alpha obviously likes the whole purring thing.”

“I was _ purring!? _ ” Zuko yelps, seemingly about to panic once again.

“Just a little!” Sokka cringes at his own inability to lie, hoping Zuko doesn’t notice. “It was cute.”

Zuko’s face immediately flushes even redder, practically as dark as his Fire Nation sleep clothes. Sokka himself is gaping like a fish at his lack of filter. Did he really just say that part out loud?

“Ugh, what’s going on?” Katara asks from next to Toph. She sits up, scrubbing at her eyes, before glancing at the pair of them. “Um… You guys okay?”

“Yep!”    


“Why wouldn’t we be?” 

Katara doesn’t look convinced in the slightest. 

“Okay, well... Zuko, I’m assuming you’ll start your heat today?” Katara asks. “Did you need anything else in the temple beforehand?”

“How do you know he’s starting today?” Sokka blurts out. Zuko ducks his head, and Sokka can barely spare the moment to feel embarrassed before Katara is rolling her eyes and cutting back in.

“Scent, Sokka. Are you suddenly nose-blind or something? First you can’t tell he’s going into heat at all, and now you still can’t tell how strong it’s gotten?” 

Sokka frowns. “I—“

“Did someone say blind?” Toph interrupts, yawning and stretching awake. “You know, it’s rude to talk about someone behind their back  _ or _ their front, blind or not!” 

The conversation flows on around him. Sokka lets his eyes rest on Zuko as casually as he can, but he can’t help the disappointment coursing through him. Whatever moment they had been having—or might have had—has officially slipped away. At least, Sokka supposes, he can finally get up and properly stretch his legs. 

The day is relatively normal, Aang and Zuko firebending in the morning, Sokka practicing with his boomerang and helping Katara cook lunch, and Sokka finds himself slipping into routine enough to let his mind wander. Katara had been right, that morning; it’s a waiting game at this point, and if Sokka had to guess, he’d assume that Zuko wants to spend as little time “doing nothing” as possible. They eat lunch together, and it almost feels like any regular day, until Sokka’s mind wanders and he’s reminded of what’s about to happen. 

It’s a couple of hours after lunch when Sokka spots Zuko slinking toward the temple, looking as awkward as Sokka’s ever seen him, despite the fact that no one else is with him. Sokka holds his breath as Zuko makes it to the entrance and turns, letting his eyes roam over their makeshift campsite. Sokka ducks behind into the bushes near where he’s sitting, not wanting to be caught watching but unable to fully look away. 

Zuko frowns, evidently not finding whatever he’d been looking for. Sokka’s alpha is displeased with that, but, as much as Sokka wants to, it’s not his place to try and fix… whatever that was. He’s not Zuko’s alpha, no more than Zuko is his omega. 

As Zuko finally disappears into the temple, Sokka sighs, stomach in knots. As much as Sokka wants to be, he’s  _ not _ Zuko’s alpha. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kudos/comments appreciated! i'm quite interested to hear your thoughts on this chapter. i'm also really thankful for all the positive feedback so far, this is actually my most popular fic!


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